Cerebral palsy care case study

Cerebral palsy care case study

Committed to treating customers as individuals and celebrating the uniqueness of each personality, Helping Hands Carers can be trusted to deliver bespoke, person-centred care. Enabling customers to live their lives the way they want is fundamental to us, regardless of circumstances.

Kathleen O’Connor has been a Helping Hands customer since 2002. A holiday to Ireland has always been a dream of hers – and her cerebral palsy and quadriplegia certainly haven’t prevented her from going. In the summer, Kathleen’s dreams were fulfilled, thanks to the incredible Live-in support she receives from Jo, her Helping Hands Carer.

For Kathleen, Jo is more than just a Carer. They share a close and trusting relationship. “Jo is a very good friend,” she explains. “She’s been with me for 13 months now – we know each other very well.” Clearly, Jo and Kathleen are a great match. Her amazing organisational efforts have made it possible for Kathleen to enjoy this meaningful experience.

“I had a wonderful time!” Kathleen exclaims. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I have ancestry there going back generations, so the trip was very important to me. I was able to see so many places; it’s hard to choose a favourite. It was all so much fun. Jo and I visited all the sites in Dublin, from Kilmainham Gaol to Dublin Castle. But I think my highlight was definitely getting the chance to see some Irish dancing!”

For Jo, it has been extremely rewarding to see the positive impact the holiday has had on Kathleen. “This trip was something Kathleen had always wanted to do, but she was quite nervous,” Jo explains. “Before the holiday, she was hesitant about going out for day trips because of her care requirements. But Ireland has really made her realise that she’s more capable than she thought. I can tell she’s a lot more confident now.”

Unlike the unpredictable Irish weather, Jo’s professionalism could be relied upon, and her high level of care and attention never faltered. Friendly and thoughtful, Helping Hands Carers are trained by our award-winning training team to provide valuable support in all situations. Kathleen and Jo decided to travel with another Carer too, for extra support and peace of mind. Jo’s expertise was definitely appreciated by Kathleen when they faced a bit of a problem on the last night of the trip.

“Kathleen’s hoist broke on the last night!” Jo explains. But Jo kept a cool head and was easily able to deal with the unexpected situation. “It sounds dramatic, but it really wasn’t a problem – we decided to hop onboard the 2am ferry home instead. We were tired, but everyone was safe and happy.”

In fact, Jo didn’t find any aspect of working on holiday to be a problem. “Providing care in a different setting didn’t faze me. If anything, it showed me just how independent Kathleen is and how much she can do for herself without my assistance. I’m just here for her when she needs me.”

Kathleen is thrilled with her care experience so far. “I’ve been with Helping Hands since 2002 and I really feel like they are taking care of me.”

Offering care and companionship tailored towards each individual, Helping Hands is supporting many other customers like Kathleen across England and Wales.